Hand foot and mouth disease is a contagious viral infection, affecting young children. It is characterized by a rash on the hands and feet with sores in the mouth. The disease usually affects children, but can occur in adults as well. It is most common in the summer and fall, but it can affect you in other months as well. It is different from other diseases with similar names, such as mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth disease, or hoof-and-mouth disease. Keep reading to learn more about symptoms and causes of this contagious disease.
You may notice a variety of symptoms and signs commonly associated with hand foot and mouth disease. You may experience sore throat, fever and have red, painful blisters-like growths on your gums, tongue or cheeks. You may also notice a red rash develop on your palms, soles or even the buttocks. Irritability is another common symptom of hand foot and mouth disease in toddlers and infants.
You don't usually experience symptoms right away, but it takes about 3-6 days for symptoms to appear. It starts with a fever usually followed by a sore throat and a general feeling of
discomfort. A rash on your feet and hands will appear within a couple of days of infection.
If your child has developed this infection, you don't have to worry if the symptoms are mild. But you should contact your doctor if the signs are serious or get worse, or if mouth sores keep your child from drinking, eating or sleeping.
You need to take things seriously if the symptoms of hand foot and mouth disease become worse after a couple of days. Certain complications may arise:
Generally affecting children under the age 10, hand foot and mouth disease is usually caused by a virus called cozsackie virus A16. It is a contagious disease, which means it can spread from person to person through tiny droplets released when a sick person coughs, sneezes or blow their nose. You will become infected if you touch a contaminated surface and touch your eyes, nose or mouth with the same hand. You will also become infected when you touch the fluid from blisters of a sick person.
There are a number treatments and home remedies available for the disease. You don't need any specific treatment for the disease because its symptoms usually go away in 7-10 days.
In order to speed up your healing process and soothe your discomforts, your doctor may prescribe an oral anesthetic to relieve the pain of mouth sores. You can also take OTC pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain relief.
Since you have blisters in your mouth and throat, it is important to ensure that the things you eat don't irritate those blisters. Try the following tips to make your pain more manageable.
As there isn't any specific treatment option available for hand foot and mouth disease, it is better to take steps to avoid becoming infected in the first place.